Ben wore a custom double-breasted wool suit from Mr. Ned, a tailor near Madison Square Park. “Our very stylish and knowledgeable Parisian friend Christopher Niquet took Ben under his wing,” Andrea remembers. “And they went to the tailor together for the initial fitting.”
The ceremony itself was intentionally family-focused. Ben and his parents walked down the aisle together to kick things off, and all of a sudden, the whole crowd started cheering. They were followed by the couple’s siblings and their families, and then Andrea and her parents. “The cheering was so hilarious and unexpected,” Andrea admits. “And we were all just grinning and laughing from the moment we stepped out into the garden.”
The couple incorporated readings, songs, and traditions that resonated with them and those who participated. “My brother read a Frank O’Hara poem, our family friend Mario sang an Italian love song, and Ben’s mother read a line from Fleabag,” Andrea says. Prounis designed the couple’s wedding bands, which are both engraved on the inside with the wedding date and the word “boon.” Ben’s also has a tiny hidden sapphire on the inside to match Andrea’s engagement ring. “ we were happy and giddy,” Andrea remembers. “I don’t remember doing this, but we high-fived after our first kiss.”
Immediately after the ceremony, the couple moved into a glass-walled room called the conservatory to sign their marriage certificate, and then the party began. There were cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the garden while the jazz band played, and then the newlyweds made a quick speech to thank everyone for coming and invite them across the street for dinner.
Dinner was set at three long tables. “Ben and I love cooking for friends at home, and we wanted it to feel like a giant dinner party,” Andrea notes. “We spent a lot of time thinking about seating and mixed everybody up—no couples next to each other!—so that everyone could get to know someone new. I also asked for the place cards to be double-sided—a trick I learned from working in the events department at Vanity Fair—so that people could easily learn each other’s names.”
There were three courses: a pink risotto, zucchini scaled sea bass with sunchokes and roasted tomatoes, and fior di latte gelato served with espresso, cookies, and chocolate. “The speeches during dinner were emotional, beautiful, and hilarious—people are still remarking on how good they all were weeks later,” Andrea says. “I think it helped that everyone we asked to speak knows both of us really well.”
Then the newlyweds danced, cut the cake—a delicious carrot cake by From Lucie—and danced some more. At 11 p.m., a saxophone player led everyone across Madison Avenue and over to the bride’s family home. “Alexandra and her team had also lit the way with paper bag lanterns, and filled the planters in front of the house with tealights,” Andrea says. “It was a really magical New York moment.”
Inside, trays of espresso martinis and bomboloni—Italian cream-filled donuts—were waiting, and people spread out all over the house to chat, dance, and kick back. Around midnight, homemade empanadas were passed around and devoured, and the couple’s friend Jason played Afro-house music until the wee hours. “ we love throwing parties and bringing people together for a good time,” Andrea says. “We keep joking that part of us wants to throw a party like this every year, and the other part never wants to plan anything like it ever again.”